My narrow 24-inch x 3.2-inch flourescent light fixture is narrower than the round ceiling workbox. I'm wondering if it's OK if I skip the workbox and just staple the romex to the joist and punch it through a hole in the ceiling drywall.

I have the ceiling opened up, you can see the where I would run the romex to and where I was going to mount the round ceiling workbox.





As you can see with the light fixture and the workbox below it, the workbox would be exposed by about 1/2-inch on both sides of the fixture.



One thought was to still use a workbox and recess it behind the drywall, rather than flush-mount it with the drywall, and cut out just the amount of drywall that would be covered by the fixture.

What is the right way to do this?

 

I had a similar situation a few years ago. I asked the local electrical inspector, who said that "for flush mounted fluorescent fixtures" it was acceptable to run the Romex into the fixture (through a knockout and clamp) without a separate box, that the "fixture's box" served as the box.
Hopefully, the pros will be by to confirm or refute his comment.

 

Sounds good. Hopefully that will be OK, as a I just put in the ceiling box where it will be recessed behind the drywall and run romex to it then through a hole in the ceiling drywall in front of the box. I stapled the romex above the box. My light fixture has a knockout and I'll put a clamp in it.

If this isn't OK, I hope I hear about it soon, I'm about to put up drywall.

 

You're fine. As stated, the fixture serves as the wiring box. You can terminate your wiring inside the fixture if this is the last light or extend it to the next fixture, using the proper strain relief.

 

I just noticed you plan to place a box above the drywall. Do not do this. Run the cable directly into the fixture.

 

Oh, OK. Just caught this before I put up the drywall. I'll get rid of the box and punch a hole in the drywall. Any particular reason why a box above the drywall should not be done?

 

All junction boxes must remain accessible, they cannot be buried in a wall. Even if you intended the box to be accessible, by placing it near or above an opening in the ceiling, this is an incorrect installation of a ceiling box.

 

If you used the box you would need a hole in the back of the fixture the size of the box to allow full access. Bring the cable into the fixture with a cable clamp. Done all the time and meets the code.